Euroconsumers announces Euroconsumers BeXt Awards

There’s now only one week to go before the unmissable first Euroconsumers International Forum - Bridging the Gap between Consumers and Businesses [in the Digital Age] - to be held at The Claridge in Brussels on 12 November. 
 
This pragmatically disruptive initiative hosted by Euroconsumers in Brussels will focus on today’s most burning issues, from data security, fake news and Artificial Intelligence to IoT, digital sovereignty and smart transport, bringing leading market players, academia, high-level  EU  decision  makers,  Members  of  the  European  Parliament,  digital  thinkers,  researchers and key consumer representatives together in meaningful dialogue. 


“The role of the consumer has changed in the digital era. Consumers are no longer weak subjects in need only of protection, they are now drivers of development and of the new digital markets in which they disclose their personal data. The protection of consumers’ economic interests in the market thus opens a whole new perspective for consumerism as an engine for development”, explains Marco Pierani, Public Affairs and Media Relations  Director at Euroconsumers. 

“This  is  a  challenge  to  which  we  at  Euroconsumers  —  as  modern,  pragmatic consumer  organizations  — are determined to rise. We are therefore building our capacity to work with major global brands, helping them to raise the bar, especially in the digital economy, to design better products and services and to advance consumer empowerment”.

The International Forum will therefore also mark the launch of the Euroconsumers BeXt Awards,  created  to  recognise  the  brands  that  have  made  significant  contributions  to  improving  the  global  marketplace in the year. The winners will be selected following a rigorous  procedure  based  on  expert  reviews  (eXpertise)  and  consumer  feedback  (eXperience) to identify the brands achieving the highest standards for both eXpertise and eXperience. This has seen Euroconsumers analysing its past two years’ comparative testing of  some  2,000  products,  together  with  the  related  consumer  feedback  (over  90,000  experiences), to identify the brands with outstanding performance in meeting consumer expectations in 5 categories, each with its own award:  

- Euroconsumers BeXt Award for Quality in Large Household Appliances (washing machines  and  tumble  dryers  this  year),  shortlisted  companies:  Miele,  Samsung, Siemens
- Euroconsumers BeXt Award for Quality In Hi Tech (smartphones and tablets for 2019), shortlisted companies: Apple, Huawei and Samsung
- Euroconsumers  BeXt  Award  for  Eco-Friendly  Large  Household  Appliances (electricity  and  water  consumption  of  washing  machines,  tumble  dryers, dishwashers and cold appliances this year), shortlisted companies: Bosch, Samsung, Siemens
- Euroconsumers  BeXt  Award  For  Reliability  In  Large  Household  Appliances (washing  machines,  tumble  dryers,  dishwashers  and  cold  appliances  for  2019), shortlisted companies: Beko, Miele, Siemens
- Euroconsumers BeXt Award for Value for Money in Hi Tech (this year analysing the reviews of mobile phones and tablets), shortlisted companies: Huawei, Lenovo, Samsung

The  winners  of  the  Euroconsumers  BeXt  Awards  will  be  revealed  during  the  2019  Euroconsumers International Forum on November 12 in Brussels.  
“In  launching  these  two  interlinked  initiatives,  Euroconsumers  is  sending  out  a  clear  message  to  all  players  in  the  digital  ecosystem:  an  invitation  to  dialogue  which acknowledges  the  innovation/competition  trade-off  has  become  stuck  in  a  loop,  while  offering a route to solutions to rebalance it.”  

Marco Pierani, Public Affairs and Media Relations Director at Euroconsumers. 




About Euroconsumers 
Gathering five national consumer organisations and giving voice to a total of more than 1.5 million  people,  Euroconsumers  is  the  world’s  leading  consumer  cluster  in  terms  of  innovative  information,  personalised  services  and  defence  of  consumer’s  rights.  Its organisations  work  closely  together  and  with  the  BEUC  and  Consumers International to  ensure safe, fair and honest relations between consumers and businesses or authorities.